Abstract: This paper examines older persons’ positions as heads of households in the Agin- court sub-district of Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. Older people’s access to non-contributory pensions in a context of AlDS-related chronic illness and prema- ture death might increase their household responsibilities which, in turn, may be manifested in higher rates of household headship. We use descriptive analysis to outline the traits of household heads, compare household characteristics, in par- ticular recent mortality experience, across headship types (male/female, pre/ post-pension eligibility). While some significant differences in household composi- tion exist across headship types, older persons were no more likely to be heading households with a HIV/AIDS-related death over the 2000-2005 period—prior to extensive antiretroviral (ARV) rollout. This provides an important starting point for further investigations aimed at understanding the impact of HIV/AIDS on older persons’ lives, and as a baseline for measuring the effects of ARV rollout on older persons’ status in AIDS-endemic communities.
Keywords: Aging, South Africa, headship, HIV/AIDS, households